NBC Sports has announced that Paul Azinger will no longer be their lead golf analyst, according to reports from the Associated Press and Golf Digest. Azinger, who is 63 years old, was reportedly caught off guard when NBC decided not to renew his contract. His last event with NBC was the Ryder Cup in September, and he won’t be available for the upcoming Hero World Challenge.
In a statement, NBC expressed their gratitude to Azinger for his contributions over the past five years. They thanked him for his insights, work ethic, and industry relationships. However, it’s unclear if this decision is part of a larger overhaul of NBC Sports’ golf coverage or if there will be more changes coming to the Golf Channel brand.
Azinger became NBC Sports’ lead analyst in 2019 after Johnny Miller retired. Before that, he worked as the lead golf analyst for ABC and ESPN from 2006 to 2015 and joined Fox Sports in 2016 for their USGA championships. In a statement released on Sunday, Azinger expressed his gratitude to the NBC team for their support and talent throughout his time with them.
As a player and broadcaster, Azinger has been involved in more than 100 major championships and international team events over the past 40 years. NBC has not yet announced who will replace Azinger in the booth.